Should having to show an ID card in order to vote be compulsory?

I LIVE in a constituency where voter ID was required. The polling officers told me only two people had forgotten and had to return home to get it. Having to produce ID to cast your vote is a great idea if it reduces fraud. Mrs L. TINMAN, Gosport, Hants. PARLIAMENT was not asked to approve the controversial ID requirement trialled in a number of polling areas. Surely, our elected representatives should have been given the chance to determine whether these major changes went though, even if only on a temporary basis. Predictably, people were disenfranchised, which is a major cause for concern. What is the impact on local community relations when a borough asks to trial these arrangements, which suggests it does not trust the residents?

Rev ANDREW McLUSKEY, Staines-upon-Thames, Surrey. I LIVE in the London Borough of Bromley, one of the ID trial constituencies, and can’t understand why people were not able to produce ID when voting. The acceptable forms

of id were well publicised in advance and anyone without a bank card, passport or bus pass could apply to the civic centre for a certificate of identity. i found the process to be simple and straightforward.

ANNE DACEY, Chislehurst, Kent. YOUNG people have a means of identification that confirms who they are and their age to enable them to buy age-restricted items, such as alcohol and cigarettes. These cards also allow them entry into nightclubs and pubs. Why can’t the rest of us have access to a similar card that is accepted in the same way as a passport or driving licence? Everything now seems to require a form of proof of identity — even withdrawing money from a personal savings account. If it were possible to apply for an ID card, I would be happy to pay for it.

Mrs LYNN O’BRIEN, Radstock, Somerset. sHoWing id before being allowed to vote should be made compulsory at all elections. and postal votes should only be allowed if the person is unable to attend a polling station. i simply used my bus pass.

JEANETTE LITTLEY, Chislehurst, Kent. YOU have to show your ID to get a bus pass and take rubbish to a council dump. So what’s the problem with showing ID before voting? I had to produce documents showing proof of my identity to get a bank draft to buy a car with my own money.

DEREK TRAYLER, Hornchurch, Essex. WHy can’t polling officers have access to a computer terminal linked to a central data base? once someone has voted, their electoral registration number would be logged and could not be used again.

A. MIDGLEY, Tottington, Gtr Manchester. I MOVED to Northern Ireland four years ago and discovered that ID cards are required in order to register on the electoral roll. I now carry my electoral ID card at all times. VALERIE GOODCHILD, Bangor, Co. Down.